The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 337 Please cherish the only comedic and harmonious character in this Holy Grail War! (Seeking monthly votes mid-month)

Like all coastal cities, Fuyuki City always carries a hint of the ocean in its air.

Therefore, unlike cities deep inland where you can usually only enjoy frozen and expensive seafood, the fish and shrimp here are often freshly caught by fishermen from the sea, making them always cheaper and more flavorful.

At that moment, Weber was on his way to the seafood market in Fuyuki City.

He lowered his head and sighed inwardly.

And that gaze, tinged with a mixture of irritation and shame, swept across the cobblestones on this path adjacent to the Weiyuan River.

This city in the far east undoubtedly has many features completely different from London, but at this moment Webber has no intention of appreciating this beautiful scenery.

At this moment, my peripheral vision kept involuntarily glancing at the ground to the side—a thick shadow cast by a burly man walking alongside me.

His head lowered even further for a moment.

Weber's neck involuntarily wanted to shrink his entire body into his collar.

"If only this guy hadn't followed us out..."

Thinking this, he stretched out his hands and ruffled his long hair into a mess, trying to suppress the thoughts of his inner collapse.

The magician felt utterly helpless.

and so--

Why did Rider insist on coming with me to buy materials for stamina potions?!
Suddenly, the magician paused, his hands on his head froze, and his whole body stiffened.

etc--

Just now... I don't think anyone noticed me, right?
Weber slightly raised his head and secretly glanced around.

Fortunately, apart from the calls of a few seabirds in the distance, there were hardly any people on this secluded side road.

I breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Fortunately, I deliberately chose a relatively secluded road, going around the market from the outside of the seaside park.

But what should you do once you get inside the market?

Weber sighed again, somewhat frustrated, and thought to himself:

"If I had known... I would have said I was going to buy a rooster to use as an ingredient in making the energy potion."

……

Weber Velvet couldn't understand—

How did things turn out this way?

I clearly learned from the reason why I almost failed when I used the [suggestion magic] on Martha and her husband not long ago:

At that time, in order to gather the materials for the spirit summoning ritual, he ran all over the city and bought a lot of roosters.

As a result, the chickens running around the yard, along with the crowing that started before dawn, not only kept me up for many nights, but also almost caused my "suggestion magic" to fail.

I remember the scene of me frantically cleaning up the mess—

"Sigh, if only my talent for magic were better."

However, despite thinking this way, Weber knew very well that complaining wouldn't solve anything.

Since I don't have enough talent, I have to work harder to make up for it.

Therefore, just as he promised Rider this morning, Waver will make some energy potions to make it easier to provide him with magic.

However, this time Webber will definitely not use the excuse of buying a rooster.

Otherwise, the "suggestion magic" that you finally succeeded in doing again is very likely to fail once more.

It's embarrassing enough that my magic trick was defeated by the sound of a rooster crowing.

Moreover, he was alone that time. What if that embarrassing scene were to repeat itself in front of Rider...?

Weber felt he might as well be dead.

Yes! There won't be any problems this time!

Weber had already come up with a perfectly reasonable excuse.

An excuse that allows you to buy the materials you need without arousing suspicion.

【Fuyuki City】As a seaside city, it is indeed very conspicuous to have a bunch of crowing roosters in the yard. However, it would be much more convenient to replace them with sea fish that can fit in a refrigerator or aquarium.

So, Weber brought up his idea at noon.

……

The restaurant in this cozy little house where Weber is staying is not grand.

Even the space felt somewhat cramped, surrounded by the clutter that the elderly couldn't bear to throw away.

But this brings a sense of "old times" where time seems to slow down.

Especially now, the midday sunlight shines through the thin curtains onto the wooden dining table, and the old photos and frames on the wall reflect a blurry, warm yellow light.

"Oh? Webber's going to buy seafood today!"

Martha came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl of soup.

Hearing Weber casually mention the afternoon's plans, she smiled slightly, feeling a little guilty, and reached into her apron pocket.

"Oh dear, I'm getting senile. I never even thought of making some Winterwood specialties for Webber."

The wrinkled hand reached into its pocket, then seemed to grasp something.

With a kind smile, Martha gently slipped several 10,000 yen bills into Weber's palm.

"Weber, take this money and buy some ingredients you want to eat."

Weber instinctively began to make excuses.

"No, no need, I'm just going there on the way..."

"Oh dear, we're all getting on in years, money is meant for our families."

Another elderly person joined in trying to persuade their grandson.

Glenn's touch wasn't heavy, but when that irresistible gentleness, along with another pair of hands covering the back of his hand, left Weber speechless.

However, Weber's throat tightened a little.

As a magician, he should not care about these ordinary people, and should even take the opportunity to ask to take all their money.

But for some reason, Weber's heart wavered.

He even felt somewhat guilty for using [suggestion magic] to impersonate the two old people's "grandson".

In fact, for Weber, who had lost both parents and was always somewhat extreme due to his own aptitude, this was a very difficult situation.

Meeting Martha and Grenfell

Perhaps it was a rare stroke of luck in Weber's life.

The old man's warmth and trust, his kind humanity, undoubtedly made some changes to this child who was eager to prove himself.

This was a kind of recognition that Weber had never experienced before, one that came without any proof.

Finally, the awkward magician didn't refuse anymore.

He simply turned his face slightly away and carefully tucked the few banknotes into the deepest part of his pocket—

Anyway, I still have some savings, so I'll keep these few bills for now.

……

However, although he went from being "short of money" to "having plenty of money".

For some reason, Weber wasn't as happy as he had imagined.

Furthermore, the words Martha said to Rider later completely ruined her plan to secretly abandon Rider.

How could I have forgotten about Rider?!

This even left Weber speechless.

It would be one thing if he were interested in things like tanks and cannons—but Rider is actually interested in all sorts of fish in the ocean.

Weber's thoughts drifted uncontrollably in strange directions:

Could it be because Rider didn't eat much seafood during his lifetime?

The young magician was unsure.

Maybe I should go to the library again and find a book about Rider's story.

But now, on his way to the seafood market, and even all the way there, a look of distress in his eyes evoked sympathy.

Taking advantage of the moment he looked up, Weber secretly glanced at the two-meter-tall burly man beside him.

Iskandar was casually scanning his surroundings, his eyes gleaming with undisguised excitement. This guy was acting like he was seeing a new continent for the first time.

As she answered his questions about marine fish from time to time, she would occasionally utter exclamations of curiosity such as "Oh—!" or "I see!"

And the thought of this guy walking into the seafood market with me later...

Weber felt his brain was getting hot.

Everyone will definitely look at me with strange eyes!
That's bound to happen!!

A series of catastrophic images immediately flashed through Weber's mind—

Image of "Iskandar 'Conquering' Sea Fish";

Image of "Iskandar 'Conquering' the Fish Tank";

Image of "Iskander 'Conquering' Seafood Restaurants"...

The thought that Rider might simply ignore the shop owners and fishermen and "catch" those fish, then carry a bunch of still-throwing "trophies" on his body, or even carry the entire saltwater fish tank out of the market.

Weber swallowed hard, a shiver running down his spine.

No, this is absolutely terrifying!

I must stop this from happening!

So, when the master and servant were only a short distance away from the seafood market, and there was no one around, their usually calm eyebrows finally furrowed in unbearable tension.

The veins on Webber's forehead throbbed, and with a grit of his teeth, he lunged at Rider.

Well, the movements were not only not elegant, but more like a cat pouncing on a pillow.

"I said, Rider!"

At this moment, Weber made one last effort to persuade Rider to leave.

"You must have seen all the scenery along the way by now!"

"The seafood market gets packed with people at lunchtime!"

……

Just as Webber was about to pounce on him with his "teeth bared and claws out".

Iskandar's thick arm reached out like a cheetah, his index finger and thumb precisely grabbing the back of his collar.

He casually stroked his beard with his other hand, raised his eyebrows slightly, and revealed a thoughtful expression—or rather, an expression as if he were pondering what to eat tonight.

"Oh—that sounds exciting!"

Weber's lips twitched.

Rider's words made him feel both annoyed and amused.

Seeing that he had no idea what he meant, Weber, who was being lifted into the air, raised his voice and tried to make the guy understand him by using his hands and feet.

"Rider! I mean—no one would use a place like that as a battlefield!"

However, as those unruly whiskers, like a lion's mane, and those curious, crimson pupils drew ever closer, he was filled with a strange light.

Weber’s originally firm voice seemed to grow proportionally softer and softer.

He suddenly stammered, "You...you can actually...become a spirit..."

The next second, a deafening, hearty laugh suddenly rang out, even making Webber's eardrums ache.

"Hahahaha! What can I do?"

"N-nothing!"

His previously firm demeanor vanished instantly, and Webber gestured for Rider to lower him from mid-air.

"I mean—put me down right now!"

Weber took a deep breath, silently reassuring himself—

It's okay, nobody knows me, don't be nervous.

As for Rider...

Maybe, perhaps, I hope that when the time comes, all I need to do is keep him away from me at the seafood market.

Looking down at the seemingly calm and unreliable young man in front of him, Rider smiled.

Iskandar raised his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the distant rooftops and streets, all the way to the horizon—a sea of ​​waves bluer and clearer than the sky.

"Okay, kid."

He looked away and placed Weber back on the ground.

"Since my master has already made his decision, then I will wait for you here."

This decisiveness and straightforwardness were somewhat unexpected for Weber.

According to his plan, the next step should be for him to argue his case, use his wits, win a small victory in a verbal exchange, and finally consolidate his "majesty" as the Master.

Even when Webber met Iskandar's serious expression, he felt a strange tightness in his chest, and for some reason, he felt a little down.

Those eyes, which had always held a carefree smile, now carried an emotion that Weber could neither look directly at nor discern.

He cautiously asked, "Rider...aren't you going to see those sea fish?"

The magnanimous king nodded, smiling as he flashed a set of pearly white teeth at Webber, as if what he had just seen was merely Webber's illusion.

"After thinking about it, I realized they were just a bunch of guys splashing around in the water, nothing worth seeing."

Weber frowned, wanting to confirm again.

But when he saw that rough, large hand about to pat his shoulder, he instinctively dodged backward.

"You really aren't going?"

"Okay, hurry up, kid, don't waste time—in winter, it gets dark faster than you think."

Weber wanted to say something more, but Rider swallowed those words back down.

Yes, it is indeed getting late.

In any case, I must make some energy potions to replenish my magic power before tonight.

After all, he had already discussed it with Rider at noon—

Considering the traces of that Heroic Spirit, who is suspected to be Caster, extracting ley lines from the city.

Tonight, some Servant will definitely take some action.

Weber comforted himself inwardly:
"In any case, this is not a bad thing. At least we don't have to worry about Rider causing any more trouble."

But after walking a short distance, Weber's steps suddenly became hesitant for some reason.

Even as he reached the bend in the road, Weber couldn't help but glance back at Rider, who was still standing in the same spot.

The massive figure remained standing in place, while Rider gazed downstream along the course of the Mien River, as if trying to see the river's end.

"What are you doing..."

He muttered something under his breath; now, Weber was also a little confused about what he was thinking.

"I was fully prepared just now."

……

As for Rider, feeling the cool wind carrying a hint of the ocean, he looked up at the clear, almost luminous sky.

The clouds high in the sky were dyed silvery-white by the sun, and that color merged with the distant sea at the horizon, like a thin silver line stretched by the sunlight, overlapping with the waves.

The king then looked up at the sky and finished expressing the sentiments he had not been able to finish earlier.

"Ah, they're just things trapped in a fish tank."

Although these words sound like words of frustration, when the last syllable of the sentence was heard, something that seemed to be forever unconquerable emerged from that even straighter and more majestic posture.

Weber could not hear the whisper.

But he knew he would never forget that scene—

At this moment, facing the whole world, Iskandar stretched out his arms and displayed his heroic figure with unrestrained joy.

With a bold and unrestrained smile, bathed in the sunlight, his imposing figure seemed to embrace the sky and the sea, and his crimson eyes seemed to encompass everything, radiating a dazzling brilliance even more intense than the blazing sun.

That was a pure one—

No, it wasn't pure joy, but an undeniable, kingly aura.

That is the true meaning of "conquest," a "real conquest."

(End of this chapter)